Jeff Heuerman (82) of the Denver Broncos is tackled by Vince Williams (98) of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter. The Denver Broncos hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers at Broncos Stadium at Mile High in Denver, Colorado on Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018.

When the Broncos were in the midst of a 1-6 stretch that threatened to ruin another season, coach Vance Joseph spent a portion of his Monday afternoons stressing the positives and how he felt his team was close to a breakthrough.

But just like the Broncos’ win-loss script has been flipped with back-to-back victories over the Los Angeles Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers, so has Joseph’s for-public-consumption message.

Joseph’s angle is valid: The Broncos aren’t even back to .500 so talking about what’s beyond the next game is futile.

But in the locker room after the 24-17 win over the Steelers on Sunday, there was a sense of momentum and excitement not present since the start of the season. The wins over Arizona and the Chargers were needed, but beating Pittsburgh was a different kind of accomplishment. The next task is taking advantage of a remaining schedule that includes only one team (the Chargers in Week 17) with a winning record.

“We’re at a whatever-it-takes-type mindset,” quarterback Case Keenum said. “We said that for the last two weeks. We’re going to try and go 1-0 (each week).”

The Broncos will attempt to go 1-0 Sunday without tight end Jeff Heuerman and linebacker Shaq Barrett. Heuerman sustained three fractured ribs and a bruised lung Sunday when he was hit by Steelers safety Sean Davis following a 15-yard catch in the fourth quarter. Heuerman was able to walk off the field, but did not return and is out for the season.

Heuerman, who had a career-high 10 catches against Houston in Week 9, is the third Broncos’ tight end to be lost this year, following rookie Troy Fumagalli (sports hernia) and Jake Butt (torn ACL in late September).

“Obviously, Heuerman is a big loss,” Joseph said. “He’s a great leader for that room and he’ll be missed. But we have guys we feel good about.”

Matt LaCosse and Brian Parker move up a spot in the depth chart. Joseph wouldn’t commit to calling up Temarrick Hemingway from the practice squad but adding a tight end is likely to happen this week.

Barrett sustained a tear in his hip flexor area and his final play was with 7:30 remaining, although he did not appear to be injured on that snap. Joseph said Barrett is “week-to-week … Shaq, in my opinion, played the best (Sunday) of all the rushers so he’ll be missed.”

The Broncos will go with three outside linebackers (Von Miller, Bradley Chubb and Shane Ray) and Barrett’s injury could give defensive lineman DeMarcus Walker a chance to be active.

Next up for the Broncos is a Cincinnati team that started 4-1, but is now 5-6 and has recent losses by 35, 36 and 15 points. Quarterback Andy Dalton (thumb) was placed on injured reserve Monday, meaning the Broncos will face Jeff Driskell.

None of those details will matter to Joseph and the players. They have enough in-house issues — giving up 400-plus yards passing in two consecutive games and poor third-down offense top the list — to work on.

“It’s a good win, we’ve won two in a row, but we have to get better,” Joseph said. “And we have to demand from our players that we get better.”

Things are now interesting for the Broncos but a win Sunday is necessary to keep things intriguing.

“We understand where we’ve been,” Joseph said. “The guys are still (ticked) off we’re not better. That’s the way I feel when we win these games. I look at the Houston game and say, ‘OK, this is nice, but what happened against Houston?’ We have to make better happen. (A) 5-6 (record) is not satisfying for them and not for me, especially. Let’s get to 6-6 and see how that feels.”

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